While perusing one of the dry goods aisles of Kroger’s grocery store last week, I overheard an endearing conversation between a father and his pint-sized daughter, who were busy checking out the soups next to me.

The dad carried just a hand-held basket–clearly his mind set on something specific, but apparently mom’s opinion on the subject had left quite an impression on their child who questioned, “You don’t want the healthy stuff?”

“I do, but…” he stammered slightly, clearly caught off guard that he was suddenly having to defend his choice of soup to the questioning innocent wide eyes beside him.

“Wow,” I thought to myself, “Poor guy.  I mean, what do you say: ‘No, I don’t want the healthy stuff’?!” And no matter what, he feels pressured to provide something different, something more, something….somehow better. But he muttered a quick affirmation of his decision and grabbed a can off the shelf.

Little daughter went on with, “Mommy says…”  and her voice trailed off as the two of them headed toward the checkout lane.

That conversation lingered on my mind, and later that week, while at home, my 14 year old daughter commented on my grimacing. I had just eyed up the dirty laundry strewn in definitive piles down our hallway leading into the laundry room.  I explained to my daughter the curiousness of relationships–and how some things just aren’t worth fussing about.

That while it’s mildly irritating to me to see dirty laundry in our hallway when he’s doing the laundry; likewise, I’ve noticed my husband pulling out the laundry sorters in a huff–it’s a small room, and he’s a big guy–I get it. But bottom line is, when he’s doing the laundry, he does it his way. When I’m doing the laundry, I do it my way. And that works–for us.

While the grocery store dad and his little “Soup Nazi” situation was amusing, it did remind me to be kind to my husband, even when (especially when) we don’t necessarily agree with how things should get done.

Moms and Dads just do things differently sometimes, and you know? That’s actually a really good thing–healthy–and has led to quite a few inside family jokes at our house. How about yours?